Opinion: Still on Police Brutality, Bribery and Constitutional Rights

Any Nigerian whose privilege of visiting a Police station in Nigeria is not interrupted, would strongly believe that the words ‘Police is Your Friend’ is not a shocker to the station’s wall. Well, one could easily say if only the ‘Nigerian Police’ wish to be the people’s friend, because they have never treat and see people (criminal and non-criminal) like a ‘friend’ to them. Since a friend is supposed to be someone who is not an enemy and who one can trust, with ‘anything’ that involves one’s life and privacy. Can some trust the Nigeria Police, at all?

Over the years, the Nigerian Police Force, which was established in 1930, has shown that, the aim which was co-existed with local administration police forces between 1930 and 1966 was fruitless. A period during which the local forces served the regional powers in both the North and Western parts of Nigeria, but these local forces were eventually abolished because they were perceived as being poorly trained, corrupt and misused for partisan political ends, including brutalisation of public members.

Apparently, the newly formed Nigeria Police Force was meant to be a reformed unification of local regional forces with the bad ingredients whittled away. Yet, this altruistic aim is far from being attained. Though, larger and supposedly modern, the Nigeria Police Force is still arcane, largely uneducated, still poorly trained, extremely corrupt, still serves parochial ends politically, and choose masses brutalisation has an hobby wickedness and lawlessness.

The egregious brutality and hostility of the police force in Nigeria brings into question the need for survival tactics in a no man’s jungle called Nigeria. The populace have no knowledgeable defence against police brutality. Police kill innocent citizens and put tags of armed robbers to cover themselves from the law’s wrath. Innocent Nigerians have paid the price for crimes they never committed. The Nigerian judiciary to date has not been a reliable defender of the people. So, how does one survive police brutality? Is it to run, duck or jump? To date, no method has been proven effective to pervert this act. The most pertinent question remains; where then shall we run to? What then shall we do to escape the brutality of a sovereign force behaving like an occupying force? What could be done to transform the Nigeria Police Force?

Although, opinion are naturally diverse on the modus operandi of transforming our current liability called Nigeria Police Force. What is not in question is the fact that the force needs urgent restructuring to become a healthy force. With no doubt, the test on their knowledge about the eight (8) chapters and seven schedules of the Nigeria constitution should be a criteria for their employment, and which is capable of eradicating the smells of bruality around them.

Little wonder about a country that has almost it new generational children, and one with a fair level of social-awareness, yet, can still tell you one or two negative things about the police. The Nigeria Police Force is considered the primary symbol of corruption, administrative inefficiency and state brutality in Nigeria. Bribery is considered as the official language of the uniform; investigative procedures are often dismissed as unreliable; and it is not unusual for armed gangs to claim police patronage.

With all honesty these ordained believes about Nigeria police need to be eradicated, as the police activities is peculiar to every citizen’s lives in the country. But when those that are chosen to safeguard the citizens, are the ones behind brutalising the citizens based on the platform of some frustrating experiences they’ve gathered during the job. Whatever experience they’ve had, a reasonable and ‘normal’ person, whose constitutional knowledge is nutritious would know that everyone has a distinct rights in the constitution, and thereby must not use ‘privilege’ to violate right.

Even if an attempt of ‘privilege’ from the Nigerian Police tries to violate human rights shows up, like a sunny afternoon, as long as Nigerians are well grinded in the study of constitution, and with the help of an ever ready judiciary, whose interest in establishing justice cannot be traded for ‘diamond’, brutality of police is gone in this land.

Since when the citizens are constitutionally grinded, no one can convince them on the interpretation of the constitution, and which is a means to pervert police brutality from their ‘door’. The ‘ogas’ at the top of government should ensure constitutional study at all curriculum of education, for toddlers, crèche, primary level, secondary level, higher institution, and up to service level, so as curb the willingness and ability of police brutality in the land.